Sylvester Stallone Writes Down the Lean Years in His New Memoir, The Steps

Sylvester Stallone has written a memoir called The Steps, and it covers the years before anyone knew his name. He writes about the many times he was turned down, and about the odd jobs he took to get by, including cleaning lion cages. Money was tight for much of that time, and he doesn't hide it. The book follows how those years led to a career that made him one of the most familiar faces in American film. Plenty of people in the best rooms of the season started somewhere far less polished, and it's good to see one of them write that part down.

With reporting from Vanity Fair.